I step to the podium. Butterflies. Knocking knees. I am asked to nominate a word for the 100th contest. I look out onto the multitudes of expectant faces before me. I adjust the microphone, turn my lead, clear my throat, turn back. I tap the mic, a loud click tells me it is on."Reiders," I say with a strong voice bereft of fear, and sure of asset, I nominate the word, “COLIN”Silence descends on the crowd like mist on a southern meadow. And then:They stand, this humble group of Reiders, so appreciative of Colin’s efforts. They cheer, as one voice rises above the rest, and then another and another…“I second the nomination,” they say in unison.

2Ns: Thanks, but we already have one honoree in the list, and well-deserved. :) I was going to second FIN, but I see it already made it to Janet's short list. So... short and with more than one meaning... How about getting back to the basic commodity around which this community of writers and readers is based?: BOOK, NOVEL, PAGE, LETTER, ALCOHOL... ;)

Snark in honor if Miss Snark.Hope, because it always springs eternal here. Bruit, because even the slightest one of good news sends everyone into gales of congratulations and well wishes.Egad! Is Frain murdering someone again? Did anyone frain who it was?Rime, because no response means no reply still elicts a rimed reply from the shark. Yay!Rede abounds here every day.Wag, because silliness does too and it wouldn't without the wags.Orison, because heaven knows we need them at times. Posy, if a short story leans our writing skills, what does a posy do?Lief, I'd lief sit around drinking tea or beer with any of you on my favorite porch and swapping lies as anything I can think of.

If the contest falls on Friday, April 28, I nominate quinquagenery-septennial as a prompt word. My motivation is...wait for it...I really want to see how Steve will Fortify either one of those words. That would be a story to read, especially with his talents.

Too obscure?

The alternate word for quinquag(mire)enery is the word, jubilee.

Here in Ohio, there's always some little town or berg celebrating an anniversary of something or another. Usually, it's some Quasi-Sasquatchian or Hemi-Demi-Semi-Quaver Saskatchewanian birthday of a founding father.

So my nomination is in the vein of the Centennial Flash Fiction contest.

Not really an anniversary or birthday, but nonetheless, important as well.

Ashes' fin gave me a moment of frisson there. It has the rightest rightness to it, even moreso than trump (and kathy joyce may be right). Plus, the puns and permutations there have been done to death perhaps.

I guess I should have explained my answersDogfish- Is a type of shark, dog fighters, sharks are kind of a fishCumulus- a type of cloud, mutiple a sharks, a "cumulus" of themFonzie-Jumping the shark, sharks in airSable-they're black, it's a shade of black, best I got Cinquain-A five line Stanza is a Cinquain, five sharks in a line

Wow. Over 50 comments, full of possible words already. At this time of morning (or any time, really) my vocabulary is failing me, so I'll leave that discussion to those of you with brains (which, by the way, is all of you, just not me.)

Kregger: They celebrate Saskatchewanians in Ohio? Lovely! I'd move there, but then I wouldn't be a Saskatchewanian anymore...

Kathy of the perfect surname seems to be wanting to get into trouble with her fellow reef-dwellers... But I do think it would level the playing field for those who haven't caught all the previous words.

(Of course, how do we know Janet is really going to incorporate all those previous words? She is a shark. She could be toying with us. Right before she attacks...)

She doesn't speak to the marketing aspect, though. She talks about the novel and how it works, and what writers can glean from it's beauty. (Note: There are spoilers in the article, but if you haven't read Charlotte's Web by now... especially as a child... please do. It deserves all the acolades.)

There are so many beautiful words out there, how do we pick just one? But some of my favorite words include 'socks', 'blubber', 'morbific' and 'mukluk'. Just say them and feel how nice they are as they roll off the tongue...

(adverb) An instrument for recording the electrical activity of the brain, usually by means of electrodes placed on the scalp: used to diagnose tumors of the brain, to study brain waves, etc EEG See also brain wave.

Also the longest word in Websters dictionary (Not antidisestablishmentarianism)

You guys may be testing my limits. But I'm always up for the challenge! (Now I'm seeing ways to work in electroencephalographically.) In a nerd admission, I did once use "floccinaucinihilipilificational" in a high school paper. Probably shouldn't day that out loud.But I also vote for "fin". So much flexibility with that one.

I can't think of any word suggestions. I'm still trying to figure out whether "aeriel" surveillance is a mashup of aerial (something sharks never achieve) and Ariel (the mermaid sharks should never chomp). Is this a test? Has Janet been eating fermented buckets o' chum? How can you get surveillance right (took me three tries) and mess up aerial?

Off topic (unless it's still yesterday, which it might be for some of us): For those who were recently bemoaning the fact that they're writing "unpopular" werewolf stories, this link might be of some comfort. Clearly, they're still being read and reviewed, although this reviewer had some issues with the books/movie mentioned. I only skimmed the reviews, but maybe they'll provide some insight about things to avoid? http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-c-reviews/c-plus-reviews/what-janine-is-reading-and-seeing-in-the-theater-werewolf-edition/

There will always be readers for well-told stories. You might just have to search a bit harder to connect with some of them.

I don't think the lack of current popularity for anything has to do with good writing, unfortunately. Yes, you'll probably find readers, but it seems that many readers are growing tired of certan genres/ideas. That's why something new and interesting has to be done with those genres/ideas, to get people interested.

I haven't started with the four words, because I'm not as skilled as others here and for sure and for certain the fifth word would render my use of the first four useless.

I like FIN from those suggested overnight.

My only other suggestion is ANT. A bazillion ways to Forti it and I've always felt that's what we're like here. We scurry in different directions with our writing and opinions, but we form a cohesive, supportive group.

I wonder if our Queen will tell us the last word in advance? And when is this contest going to happen? I need to know so I can clear my diary to make sure I have time to work on my entry. There are going to be some doozies for sure! (and Janet is going to rue the torment she has put us through in the lead-up because she will then have to narrow it down to a winner *grin*).

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I'm a literary agent in NYC. I specialize in crime fiction and narrative non-fiction (history and biography.) I'll be glad to receive a query letter from you; guidelines to help you decide if I'm looking for what you write are below.
There are several posts labelled "query pitfalls" and "annoy me" that may help you avoid some common mistakes when querying.